No on Proposition 19

1570 Words4 Pages

Should marijuana be legalized in California? Marijuana has been illegal since the 1930’s, though medical marijuana was legalized in 1996. Therefore, if marijuana becomes legal on California there will be more access to it. Any adult over 21 years old will be able to purchase it. Although Proposition 19 predicts that California will benefit from earning money on taxed marijuana and will only allow distribution to adults, we should oppose Proposition 19 because it is not a clear plan and the outcome of what can happen to California is not clear as well.

One reason to oppose Proposition 19 is that the control of marijuana is not guaranteed. The United States has been dealing with illegal drug trafficking throughout the years. Supporters of Proposition 19 will say that if Proposition 19 passed that it would fight the drug cartels. According to Mc Namara, Gray, and Downing supporters who worked in the Los Angeles Police Department, say, “60 percent of drug cartel revenue comes from the illegal U.S. marijuana market. By controlling marijuana, Proposition 19 will help cut off funding to the cartels.”(5) By making marijuana legal cartels would have to pay their share of taxes to the state. Also, “Yes on 19”, says that Proposition 19 will, “Cut off funding to violent drug cartels across our border who currently generate 60 percent of their revenue from the illegal U.S. marijuana market.”(7) Like Mc Namara et al, “Yes on 19” believes that by legalizing marijuana in California the state will benefit from it.

On the other hand, people who oppose Proposition 19 would say the contrary. According to The Fresno Bee who opposes Proposition 19 say, “This proposition would not magically end marijuana trafficking our put drug cartels out of busi...

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... any backyard, in any town – and local governments would be powerless to stop them.”(11) Local governments would be powerless because marijuana would be legal and won’t be able to do much about it. The only thing to do would be to hope that the cops catch the thieves.

In conclusion, we should oppose Proposition 19 because none of the plans the government has proposed would seem to have clear outcome. Marijuana as well as other illegal drugs will always be around and making them legal will not make a difference. We need to think of how the legalization of marijuana would really help the state out. Proposition 19 requires a lot of more revising and studying. When the government comes up with a stable, specific, and clear proposal then we can debate on that. Finally, marijuana should not be legalized and California voters should have voted against Proposition 19.

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